Abrasive tool making process – material – or composition – With synthetic resin
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-20
2003-11-04
Marcheschi, Michael (Department: 1755)
Abrasive tool making process, material, or composition
With synthetic resin
C051S300000, C051S308000, C051S309000, C428S908800, C428S148000, C428S149000, C428S151000, C428S147000, C428S206000, C428S211100, C428S323000, C428S329000, C428S457000, C428S537100, C428S537500, C428S524000, C428S525000, C428S503000, C428S528000, C428S530000, C428S142000, C428S327000, C428S210000, C428S918000, C428S703000, C428S704000, C524S430000, C524S493000, C524S492000, C106S204300, C106S204010, C106S287170, C106S287340
Reexamination Certificate
active
06641629
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a composition and method for forming abrasion resistant coatings. More particularly, this invention is directed to novel coating compositions containing a macrocrystalline or single crystalline mineral material in amounts sufficient to provide coatings exhibiting enhanced abrasion resistance and high clarity.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The application of protective or decorative coatings is a common processing step in many manufacturing protocols. One important functional property of such coatings, whether they be applied for a decorative or a protective function, is abrasion resistance. Disruption of the integrity of the applied coatings by abrasive contact with other surfaces during shipment or in the ordinary use of the coated surfaces can affect the appearance of the coatings and their effectiveness in protecting the underlying surface. Accordingly, there has been a significant research and development effort directed to the formulation of coating compositions which exhibit abrasion resistance along with other desirable coating characteristics such as flexibility, hardness, adhesion, high clarity, and the like.
Abrasion resistance is a particularly important and desirable property for coating formulations used on surfaces, such as flooring, shelving, wall coverings, furniture, and the like, which in use are subjected to abrasive contacts with other objects. The use of coatings exhibiting good abrasion resistance and high clarity on such surfaces enhances both the appearance and the functionality of the coating compositions.
Therefore, in accordance with this invention there is provided a coating composition for forming abrasion resistant coatings. The invention is based, at least in part, on the discovery that the use of a macrocrystalline or single crystalline mineral material having an average crystal size of about 1 to about 500 microns as an additive at effective levels in available resin coating compositions provides coatings exhibiting surprisingly enhanced abrasion resistance and excellent coating clarity.
Typical coating compositions in accordance with this invention comprise a film-forming resin composition and a mineral abrasive in a macrocrystalline or single crystalline form in an amount effective to provide abrasion resistance in the resulting coating. The nature of the film-forming resin component of the present coating composition is not critical; preferably, however, the resins are art-recognized thermosetting and UV curable resins commonly used in decorative and protective coating compositions.
In one embodiment of the present invention improved abrasion resistant surface finishes are applied in a multi-coat coating protocol utilizing at least one sealer or primer coating composition and at least one top coat composition to form a surface top coat. The improved surface finish and method comprises using a sealer/primer coating composition comprising a film-forming resin composition and a macrocrystalline or single crystalline mineral abrasive, for example, aluminum oxide or silicon dioxide, in an amount effective to impart abrasion resistance to the surface finish.
In another embodiment of the present invention an abrasion-resistant laminate is provided. The laminate comprises a base layer and at least one additional layer wherein the surface of the additional layer is finished with a coating composition comprising a film-forming resin composition and a macrocrystalline or single crystalline mineral abrasive in an amount effective to impart abrasion resistance to the surface finish. The decorative flooring may be coated with a composition wherein the mineral abrasive is an aluminum oxide, an electrofused aluminum oxide, or a silicon dioxide. The aluminum oxide or silicon dioxide forms about 5 to about 80 weight percent of the coating.
In another embodiment of the present invention a method of finishing the surface of a laminate is provided. The method comprises the step of applying to at least one layer of the laminate a coating composition comprising a film-forming resin composition and a macrocrystalline or single crystalline mineral abrasive in an amount effective to impart abrasion resistance to the surface finish.
In still another embodiment of the invention improved abrasion resistant surface finishes are applied to the surface of at least one layer of a laminate. The improved surface finish and method comprise applying a coating composition to at least one layer of the laminate wherein the improved coating composition comprises a film-forming resin composition and a macrocrystalline or single crystalline mineral abrasive in an amount effective to impart abrasion resistance to the surface finish.
In yet another embodiment of the invention a coating composition for forming abrasion-resistant coatings of high clarity is provided. The coating composition comprises a film-forming resin composition and a mineral abrasive in macrocrystalline or single crystalline form wherein the mineral abrasive forms about 5 up to about 60 weight percent of the coating and wherein the coating composition exhibits about 70 percent clarity measured according to the ASTM®E430 Standard.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of this invention there is provided a curable coating composition for forming abrasion-resistant, high clarity coatings. The coating composition comprises a film-forming resin composition, most typically a thermosetting resin or a UV curable resin, and a mineral abrasive with high Mohs' hardness in macrocrystalline or single crystalline form in an amount effective to enhance the abrasion resistance of the resulting cured coatings. The nature of the film-forming resin composition is not a critical aspect of the present invention; any art-recognized coating compositions detailed for decorative or surface protective applications can be formulated to include an amount of a macrocrystalline or single crystalline mineral abrasive sufficient to enhance the abrasion resistance in the resulting coatings.
In one embodiment of the invention the film-forming resin of the present coating composition is a thermosetting resin composition comprising epoxy resins, acrylic resins, polyester resins, polycarbonate resins, melamine-formaldehyde resins, or polyurethane resins. The resins may comprise polymers cross-linked through the use of aminoplasts. Such resins are well known in the art and are commercially available and are detailed for a wide range of decorative and protective coating applications.
In another embodiment of the invention the film-forming resin composition comprises a UV curable resin, typically a UV curable resin comprising olefin-functional monomers and olefin-functional oligomers and polymers. The olefin-functional oligomers and polymers may comprise polyurethanes, cellulosic acrylic butyrates, nitrocellulosic polymers, polyesters, acrylic polymers, or blended or grafted combinations thereof. Typically such formulations include a combination of mono- and multi-functional olefin oligomers or polymers. See, for example, the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,600,649; 4,902,975; 4,900,763; and 4,065,587, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In one preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a coating for forming abrasion resistant coating compositions, for example, for wood floor applications or for application to laminated floorings, wherein the coating composition comprises mono-olefin functional and multi-olefin functional polyurethane monomers, oligomers and polymers.
In another embodiment of the invention the film-forming resin comprises a thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin may comprise such resins as a nitrocellulose resin, an alkyd resin, a polyester resin, an acrylic resin, a vinyl acrylic resin, a styrene acrylic resin, or may comprise a urethane, or a natural product.
Typically the present coating compositions comprise about 40 to about 90 percent by weight of a film-forming resin composition and about
Chen Frank Bor-Her
Forrest Harvey Richard
Muselman Gregory David
Safta Eugen
Barnes & Thornburg
Marcheschi Michael
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